d was depending upon
some other party to settle the identification.

It was noon before either of them realized it.

Darry declared he must hurry off so as to catch the lawyer at his office
and settle matters before going home.

"Hark, Darry," said Paul, holding his hand as they parted; "promise me
that if there is anything else I can do to please you I'm to know it
right away. Confide in me, my boy. It makes me happy to share, even to a
limited extent, in your little affairs. And you know we are going to be
great chums all winter, you and I. Look on me then as a sort of elder
brother or a cousin, if you please."

And Darry thought as he looked into the clear laughing eyes of Paul
Singleton that nothing would give him greater happiness on earth than if
he could claim relationship to this fine manly fellow.

He seemed to be walking on air as he left the cove and headed into the
village.

Upon calling at the office of Darius Quarles he was disappointed to
learn that the lawyer had gone off in his closed buggy early that
morning, and would not be back all day--he had to foreclose a mortgage
the clerk remarked, and never allowed that duty to be performed by a
subordinate, for it gave him too much satisfaction to attend to it
personally.

Even his employees had a secret contempt for his mean ways, it seemed.

"He expects to be home to supper, and if your business is pressing you
might call at his house, which is just out of the village on the road to
Harden," the young clerk said in concluding.

"Thank you, I believe I shall call, as I wish to see him very much,"
replied Darry, and left the place.

He made his way along the rather lonely road that led to the humble home
of the Peakes, bowing his head to the storm, and yet with a song of
thanksgiving swelling in his heart, for he knew he was carrying with him
the means of lifting the load that had for some time oppressed his kind
benefactors.

Suddenly something struck him a stunning blow and looking up as he
staggered he heard a chorus of shrill laughs, and realized that a rope
had been thrown around him in such a way that his arms were pinioned
down at his sides.

At the same moment several impish figures sprang out of the dense brush
and fell upon him with vicious blows, as though bent upon knocking him
down.

Though they had their faces concealed after a ridiculous fashion he
recognized the malicious laugh of one as belonging to Jim Dilks.

CHAPTE